


Battle Scars

by betweenthepages



Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: F/M, MAYcation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-05-21
Updated: 2015-05-21
Packaged: 2018-03-31 14:13:13
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3981082
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/betweenthepages/pseuds/betweenthepages
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>For allofthefeelings, who wanted a ficathon of Melinda and Andrew visiting various parts of the Marvel Universe. Contains AoU spoilers, and AoS spoilers through the season two finale.</p><p>–</p><p>They start at the Barton household.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Battle Scars

They start at the Barton household.

May strides across the field slowly, scanning across the house’s windows until she sees the one Clint stands guard from. He drops his weapon and disappears from the window, and Melinda’s stride quickens, suddenly anxious. Beside her Andrew walks, sure and deliberate; for a second she allows herself the memory of rosier times at this place, of his arms wrapped surely around her waist as she stumbles back to the car just a touch tipsy. This time around his hand grazes the small of her back for an instant, steadying her, anchoring her in this version of reality. The one where Clint is standing on the front porch, head tilted in disbelief. Behind him Laura appears, her company smile fading away only to be replaced with a genuine beam, her eyes crinkling. 

 

Without warning Clint leaps off the front porch, walking hastily towards them to stop just short of Melinda. For a beat they stand, sizing each other up, then May steps forward, closing the gap between them. Clint wraps his arms around her and clings; slowly, May’s arms come up to wrap around him, too. Laura, who has followed more slowly, stretches up on her tiptoes to peck Andrew on the cheek, then slings her arm around May, walking her towards the house.  
Clint falls into step beside Andrew. They walk in easy silence before curiosity becomes overwhelming, and Andrew answers the question before it is even asked. “Melinda needed this,” he explains, and Clint nods. “Laura!” he shouts ahead, and both women turn. “Don’t let May anywhere near my newly refurbished kitchen,” he teases, and Laura laughs. May smiles, fleeting but genuine, and beside Clint Andrew lights up. “Are you two —“ Clint starts, curious, but Andrew shakes his head firmly, and he leaves it at that.

The house is lighter, airier than May remembered, though more cluttered. Laura guides her in and sits her down on the couch, calling out for the kids. She disappears and Andrew joins her; a moment later two sets of footsteps come running in, halting shyly in front of them. Melinda’s heart catches in her throat; they’ve grown and she’s missed so much of it. Laura follows a minute later, cradling a baby over her shoulder. “Meet Nathaniel,” she says. “Nathaniel Pietro.”

“For Natasha?” Andrew guesses, and Laura nods. Clint appears, setting down a tea in front of May and a coffee in front of Andrew. “And for a… friend. Duckling. Whatever.” He clears his throat, sits down opposite May. “We could have used you when we were fighting a robot army, you know.”

May chuckles, brief, bitter. “There was another war people wanted us to fight.”

Laura steers them back onto steadier ground. “Do you remember your Auntie Mel and Uncle Drew?” she prompts the two children gently. Cooper nods uncertainly and steps forward towards them; Lila blushes and climbs into her father’s lap. “Like in the photo over there?” she asks shyly, pointing towards the office, and Clint nods. “Hey, why don’t you guys go upstairs and play for a bit, okay?”

Lila clambers down from his lap, and Cooper offers Andrew a high five before they both run out of the room. Laura excuses herself to put a fussy Nate down, and Clint stands up, offering to show them to their room. “One bedroom? Two?” he asks cautiously, and Andrew laughs. He looks to Melinda, then back at Clint. “Two, if you’ve still got the space.” 

They’re halfway up the stairs when May speaks. “Clint. You didn’t ask how long we’re staying.”

“Doesn’t matter,” Clint says. “I could use some help finishing the sunroom, anyway.”

–

Despite the gaping hole in the wall, Clint’s sunroom is surprisingly cozy, and after tossing and turning all night Melinda comes downstairs for tai chi just as the sun comes up. She enjoys a few minutes of peace, then turns to face the figure standing in the doorway.

Clint winces. “I’m guessing you still don’t like talking during tai chi?”

Melinda relaxes, sitting down cross-legged on the floor. “Given that we’ve just crashed at your house, I’m willing to make an exception,” she says, wryly. “Since when are you happy to get up at five in the morning, Barton?”

“Since we had a three month old and Laura doesn’t have to be a single parent any more,” he says, holding up the baby monitor in his hand. He slides down in the doorframe, sitting so his knees are tucked to his chest. In this light he looks achingly young, barely older than the teenager he was when she first met him, and something stings in her heart.

“So, you want to talk about this duckling?” she asks, serious, and he chuckles softly. 

“We’re supposed to be the shield,” he says. “I came home.” The unspoken he didn’t lingers in the air.

“He made a choice so you could make yours,” she replies softly, “and you made the right one.”

“Is there? A right one, I mean?” The baby monitor crackles, then the sounds of Nathaniel crying fills the room. Clint scrambles up and out of the room, and returns a few minutes later, bouncing Nathaniel in his arms. “Speaking of babies – how are your baby agents doing?”

Despite herself, May smiles. “Heading up teams and divisions. Not so baby anymore.”

“Doesn’t mean they don’t need you still,” Clint says, offering Melinda the bundle in his arms. Hesitantly, she takes Nate, cradling him close. “We still do.”

May looks up at him, her eyes shining. “How’s Nat doing?”

“She could use a hand over at the Academy.”

Melinda laughs, genuine this time. “Nice try.” She plays with Nate’s hands, smiling softly when one of his hands curls around her finger. “I will go see her, though.” Nate coos, and she lets out a soft breath.

“Hey. May. Want me to go put a frog in Andrew’s bed?” His eyes sparkle, and she steps towards him, hands Nate back. “It could be a demo for Coop and Lila.” 

“Go back to bed, Clinton,” she says playfully, and they leave the tentative peace as is.

– 

Andrew finds Laura outside, in the garden. She’s wearing a wide-brimmed hat, bent over a patch of soil, and as he approaches she smiles. “Thought you could use a friend,” he says.

“There’s some spinach right there, if you wanted to make Mel a smoothie.” She points, and he laughs. “She still hate coffee?” 

“I think so. It’s been a while.” Laura nods in understanding, her eyebrows furrowing in the bright light. “How’ve you been, Laura?”

“Better now that he’s back.”

“It’s a big place to run on your own,” he comments, looking around. “Must’ve gotten lonely.”

“A lot of pretty hurt people have come through here,” she says with a sigh. “We could’ve used someone like you around.”

He chuckles. “I suspect you’ve done a lot more good than you think, Laura.” 

She takes the compliment gracefully, with a quick nod. She stands up, brushing dirt from her hands and gathering up her tools. “You ever wonder how they can be so super and yet so… not?”

“All the time.” He offers up a grin, and in silence, they walk back to the house.

– 

Andrew and Clint banish her from the kitchen as they cook dinner, and May finds herself sitting on the steps of their porch, looking out at Lila and Cooper as they play tag. Something cold taps her on the shoulder, and Laura hands her a beer as she settles down next to her on the steps. “You’ve been busy,” Melinda says, gesturing at the children, the farm. Laura smiles, her voice gentle. “So have you, I’m guessing.” May snorts. “You could say that.”

“Still being the shield and all that?”

“Yeah, I’m not sure how well that’s gone.” Melinda raises the bottle to her lips, takes a long drink. Laura doesn’t push, and May sighs audibly.

“I’m glad you came,” Laura says instead. “We’ve missed you. Nat misses you.”

“To old friends, then.” May clinks her bottle with hers, then sets it down as Lila comes running up to them. Her hair has come loose, and she holds out a rubber band to Melinda. Laura reaches for her, but before she can Melinda braids her hair deftly, securing it and sending her back out to play. Laura smiles, and silence hangs between them, comfortable and familiar.

“I thought I was going to have to do this alone,” Laura says softly, when Lila is out of earshot. “Clint came home. Millions of others did, too. What you guys do matters.”

“Dinner’s ready,” Andrew calls, and Laura gets up, offering May a hand. She pushes up off the floor instead, gathering up both their bottles. “Mel,” Laura says, looking through the window into the kitchen then back at her, “you deserve to find your way home too.”

–

On the third night, she comes to him. The floor outside his door creaks, and Andrew startles awake. For a minute there is silence, and he almost goes back to bed, wondering if it wasn’t one of the kids on their way to their parents room after a nightmare. But the shadow of light doesn’t fade, and he gets out of bed and pads towards the door, not surprised to find Melinda standing there, a nightrobe slung loosely around her body.

Before she can ask, he opens the door more widely, gesturing her in. She perches on the edge of the bed, then shifts inwards, drawing her knees up to her chest. “I couldn’t sleep,” she offers up clumsily, almost shyly. She trembles, curling up even more tightly, and he settles down gently behind her. 

Almost out of habit, he raises his hands to her shoulders, stopping just short of contact. “This okay?” he asks, and she nods almost imperceptibly. He lowers his hands to her shoulders and squeezes, massaging them slowly, and gradually she stills, melting into his touch. She leans back, resting her head on his chest, and her robe falls open just enough that he can see the scar on her shoulder.

“That’s new,” he murmurs, running the pad of his thumb over her scar. “Long story,” she says, closing her eyes, suddenly sleepy. Slowly he leans down, brushing his lips over the scar, and this time she shivers for another reason entirely. He smells just as she remembered, cinnamon and wood, and she inhales deep, breathing in the comfort. Gently he eases them both down onto the mattress, curling himself around her, pulling the blankets over them both. 

He presses a kiss to her temple, and she sighs, tugging him closer. “We’ll talk in the morning,” she mumbles, slurring her words slightly, and he nods into her hair. 

“Good night, Melinda,” he says, and for the first time in a long time, she sleeps.


End file.
